The Trump Administration has tapped a veteran law enforcement officer to be the new permanent leader of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Florida resident and retired Florida Highway Patrol Chief Derek Barrs has been nominated for the role of Administrator of the FMCSA, pending approval by Congress.

Barrs has extensive experience in law enforcement. He was a deputy with the Madison County Sheriffs Office for 10 years before moving on to the Florida Department of Transportation’s Office of Motor Carrier Compliance in 2001. He joined the Florida Highway Patrol in 2011, and retired as Chief in 2020. He spent five years in the private sector working for HNTB Corporation, an infrastructure solutions company. He is also part of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) Law Enforcement Advisory Board and is a member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

The nomination of Barrs as FMCSA Administrator comes on the heels of the departure of Acting Administrator Adrienne Camire, who stepped down two weeks after her nomination was announced.

“OOIDA and the 150,000 small business truckers we represent congratulate Derek Barrs on his nomination to lead the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. We look forward to working with him in advancing the priorities of small business truckers across America, including fighting freight fraud, rolling back unnecessary regulations, and closing regulatory loopholes to ensure the safest truck drivers remain in the industry. We encourage a swift confirmation in the Senate and look forward to working with Mr. Barrs to improve the safety of our roadways,” said Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President Todd Spencer.

“With nearly two decades of experience in law enforcement and the commercial motor vehicle industry, Derek Barrs’ career has been defined by his emphasis on making our roads safer for all motorists,” said ATA President & CEO Chris Spear.  “Derek’s extensive public service at the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Highway Patrol make him exceptionally well qualified to be FMCSA administrator.  He has a proven track record of strengthening ties between the trucking industry and public safety officers to address top transportation challenges such as drug impairment, cargo theft, and human trafficking.
 
“Derek’s deep knowledge of the trucking industry and his collaborative approach will make him an invaluable asset to USDOT.  Under his leadership, the trucking industry is confident that FMCSA will make significant progress towards achieving our shared priorities of improving highway safety and efficiently delivering the nation’s freight.  ATA welcomes Derek’s nomination to this important role, and we urge Senators to swiftly approve his nomination.”